that we feele nothing at all But if wee were lightly touched with those terroures of everlasting death then indeed we should be earnestly grieved it would appeare no marvell vnto vs that such a bold man vtherwaies of courage was of so dejected a mind at this time Wherfore we must continually tak pains to cast off the deadly so pour which crepeth vpon vs day and night perswading our selues finally ever of that if wee judge not our selues we shal be punished of the Lord some one judgement or other being sent out vpoÌ„ vs we shall be wakened out of so deadly a sleepe Mine eie through indignation Hee persisteth yet in the amplifying of his grief The amplifying of the griefe Mine eie saith he through indignation is consumed That is according to my judgemente through the wrath whereby he is coÌ„moved against his enemies as the wordes following appeare to make manifeste Mine eie saith he waxeth old because of all mine enemies To wit for al those that in the minde of an enemie obserue me they insult vpon me being cast downe to the earth and triumph as it were over mee for the wicked vse to rejoice at the calamities of the godlie and to insult vpon them being throwen downe for that end inspeciall that if it bee possible they may driue them to desperation while they perceiue that their hope is mocked at For this is a most grievous sort of persecution when this is cast vp in their teeth that they haue in vaine hoped in God and that they haue beene as it were beguyled of God to whome notwithstanding they haue so much trusted Out of all question DAVID suffered this kinde of tentation at this time DAVIDS siknes of his body was grieuous the feeling of the wrath of God was heavier but this mocking of his enemies in his miseries increased exceeding greatly that griefe which proceeded from both The wicked haue no matter of reioycing specially in the afflictiones of the godly The wicked therefore rejoyce at the afflictiones of the godly when in the meane time they haue no cause to glorie But the godly indeed haue matter to rejoice in when they see the wicked humbled for with the casting downe of the wicked the deliverie of the godly is conjoyned But contrariwise there is no solide and true deliverance of the vngodly when the children of God are afflicted The wicked indeede appeare in their own sight to be happy and to liue more at liberty when the godly are dejected But to speake so there shall not be a final deliverance Wherfore if we wil speak truly there is no cause of rejoycing to the wicked out of the aflictions of the godly neither shal so many victories gotten over the professours of the Gospell profit the Papists one haire which aâ— daily brought to our eares by mens speeches out of those nations whom the Lorde for the cause of religion exerciseth this day For there shall remaine a Church to God vppon the earth even vntil the second coÌ„ming of Christ albeit al the Kinges of the earth conspire against the same For it is by the mighty power of God that that small flock is wonderfully preserved in the midst of so manie Wolues cirkling them round about But suppose that the Church of God were altogether at one time taken out of the earth which the vngodly would wish with all their heartes would the wicked be for that cause the more happy The â—â—â—â—â—eame greate mâ—sery of the vngodly Doeth this worlde stand because of the wicked is this interchanging of daies and nightes by reason of the vngodly Doeth the earth bring foorth her fruits for the wickeds sake No verely for al those thinges come to passe because of the godly An example Church of God But if there were an final accomplishment of the Electe there should not bee a place found for any of the wicked vppon the whole earth What cause therefore haue they of rejoycing glorying at the afflictiones of Gods children The Lande of Palestina which was ever an enemie to the people of the Iewes rejoyced sometime at the afflictions of the Iewes but what saieth God vnto them Reioyce not O thou whole Palestina because his roddâ— that stroke thee is broken Esai 14. 21. that is because the power of the kingdome of the Iewes is diminished and broken As if the Lorde should saye Thou hast no cause to rejoyce O Palestina concerning that matter Which thinges seeing they are so surely so oft as wee daily see those men that are glad at the afflictions of the Churches of France and rejoyce at the comming of the Spaniardes into this I le to overthrow this purity of the Gospell which we professe who laugh as it were in their sleeue at those things While we see I saye those fine-ones wee haue no great cause so much neither to envie their prosperitie nor theirs whom they favour as we haue cause to pittie their miserie and to be glad for the happinesse that shall one daye come vnto the Church Christ â—ayth Ioh. 16. 20. Verely verely I say vnto you yee shall lament and mourne but the world shall reioyce ye shall bee heavie but your sorrow shall be turned into ioye Againe Matt. 5. 4 Blessed are they that mourne for they shall receiue comfort And againe Luk. 6. 25 Woe be vnto you sayeth he that laugh because ye shall mourne and weepe Out of which words wee obserue that this is a necessare interchanging that those that now mourne with the Church of God shal laugh with her for ever after this life But those who nowe laugh in the miseries of the Church shal mourne and weepe for ever after this life 9 Departe from mee all ye workers of iniquitie for Iehova heareth the voyce of my weeping 10 Iehoua heareth my deprecation Iehova receiveth my prayer 11 Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore troubled let them turne backe let them be suddenly ashamed The other part of the Psalme the heavinesse of the godly is turned into joy they casting down into confidence DEpart from me Hitherto the first part of the Psalme hes bin consumed in petitiones now followeth the other in which DAVID in an instant having feâ—t that grace and favorable good will of God which hee craved by a turned speech he gloryeth against his enemies That thing is worthie of consideration to see how hastely the alteratioÌ„ is made from the sense of the feling of Gods anger into the feeling of his vnspeakable mercy even when he was wrastling with the wrath of God But now hee is lifted vppe through the confidence of his mercy Any godly man being oppressed with Gods anger and casten down as it were to the low hells sooner nor one can speak the worde is lifted vp vnto the heavens This is to bee attributed to God and to his mightie power who with one blenk of his eie is able wounderfully to deliver his owne DAVID
the remissiof sinnes David in another place publisheth him to be blessed whose sinnes are forgiuen According to thy louing kindnesse This is the cause why Dauid although a sinner notwithstanding dare be so bold to come vnto GOD that is to his judge to wit the loving fauour and mercy of GOD in Iesus Christ Eph. 3. 12. leaning to which hee hath libertie and entrie With confidence vnto God as the Apostle speaketh and craveth grace at him What time the conscience intendeth against vs any crime at the same time God as a juste judge passeth vp vpon his judgement seate and with majestie sitteth therevpon and with such an awfulnes that everie sinner is easily affrayd to come before his face for the vngodly are not able to sustaine that angrie countenance of GOD who haue not as yet felt that mercie of GOD in Christe Neither yet are they able from the hearte to call him Father yea they woulde rather goe out of the worlde that they might flye awaye from that his so fearefull presence Wherefore a sinner except hee feele together with the sense of sin God also to be mercifull he dare not be so bold as to compeire before him But now hauing felt his mercie and that loue by the holy Spirit powred forth into our harts he is no waies skarred away neither by the weightines of sinne nor yet by the maiestie of the iudge but that with confidence he wil draw neere vnto him For the feeling of the mercie of GOD in Christ hath so great a force of alluring If thou wouldest slay me sayeth IOB should I not trust in thee Blot out my defectiones The same petition is repeated from the exceeding greate desire of deliverance Blot out sayth he my defectiones That is forgiue me my sinnes whereby it is come to passe that filthily I haue made defection from thee It can scarsely be spoken how grievously Dauid had sinned First having committed adultery then man-slaughter Thirdly having contracted mariage with the woman defiled in adultery Fourthly the people of God being layde out to an open daunger and with all these finally was conjoyned obstinacie in sinne For hee had sleeped securely many monethes as it were in the sinne DAVID therefore being guiltie of so many sinnes surely he durst not haue bene so bold vnlesse hee had leaned to the infinite mercie of GOD to haue commed into his sight And from hence proceedeth that thing which hee cryed out Blot out my defectiones That is so many and so greate and that O God according to thy superabundant mercy Every sin whatsoever is the offending of that infinite Majestie Of this it commeth to passe that the burthen of sin-after some sorte is infinite if the sinner himselfe be not disburdened thereof in Iesus Christ Wherefore there is neede yea of an infinit mercy that any sinne whatsoever may be forgiven how much more is it necessary that infinite mercy superabundant be had to the end that many grieuous sins may be forgiven For seeing sinne aboundeth of necessitie grace must superabound Which thing experience it selfe teacheth For any man oppressed with some more haynous sinne he findeth not first reste to his soule before he conceiue in his mind the mercie of God which as soone as hee hath felt taken holde of there is no sin of never so great momente Ephe. 3. 8◠of the pardon wherof he may not now perswad him self therfore we shuld trauel al our life according to the saying of the Apostl We may be able to comprehend what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know that loue of Christ Ephes 3. 18. 19. which passeth all knowledge For out of all question the mercy of GOD in Iesus Christ is infinite But wee such is our stupidity are not able to comprehend scarse the thousand part thereof Of which it commeth to passe that in our owne default we are spoyled of a sufficient cōfort For there is no place for comfort in the soule without faith which what other thing is it then a feeling of the mercy of God in Christ Wash me much Thirdly hee repeateth the same thing as if hee should saye Cease not to wash before thou haue fully purged me from my sinne For it is an allusion to the clensings of the Lawe But it is to be marked that not being content with a light and common washing he sayth Wash me much He felt to wit that sinne had sette the rootes thereof deepely in him and that more toughlie it had cleaved to him and therefore he craveth of God that he would multiplie the washings which vnlesse it be done he thinketh that it cannot come to passe that hee can be clensed from the filthinesse of sinne Note then that sinne is not a superficiall thinge but that it occupyes wholie all the deapths of the heart But who knoweth this Surely not these secure men and Libertines who either feele not sinne at all or if they feele it they feele it lightlie and no otherwaies then in the vtter part of the skin Who then feeles it Verely they who repente earnestly and from the hart Those men very wel know within themselues how filthie a thing sin is how deepe partes of the soule it occupyeth and from hence it is that in this life they think they cannot bee sufficiently purged from their sinnes and that those panse vpon this that there is nothing wherby they may be clēged except that alone blood of Christ to whō only the holy Spirit leadeth thē when there is an earnest feeling of sin and a desire of washing For that is not the Spirite of Christ which carryeth a waye else where the soule of a sinner from Christ and to other washings satisfactions whatsoever which the Papistes dreame to themselues Of al these things which haue bene spoken marke this David vttereth the exceeding greate dolour of his heart in these his petitions and the cause of the dolours may be sufficiently knowen out of the petitions themselues Also the sin is whereby hee himselfe had grieuonsly offended his God For he sayeth Blot out my defections c. From whence is manifestly sene the difference betuixt the sorrow of the godly of the wicked These last indeed are sorrowfull not so much for the sinne Gen. 4. 1◠and the offending of God The examples of Iudas and Cain as for the punishment of sinne and the torment So Cain sorrowed Mine iniquitie is more sayeth he then that I am able to beare So also Iudas the betraier of Christ sorrowed But the godly although indeede they abhor the paine notwithstanding for this cause they are chiefly displeased that they haue offended their gratious God they detest sinne not so much because of the punishment as for the evil it self which is in sin and such was Davids sorrow at this time For I acknowledge my defections Hitherto hee hath sought one thing thrise now hee adjoyneth the cause of
and honorable styles but for the most part fayned styles But the godly when they speake reverently vnto God they speake from the entire sincerity reverence faith and loue of the heart For wee must deale with GOD the searcher of the hearts with vprightnes of heart and not make our word so much as our soule approoved vnto him and this cannot bee done without his owne spirit For no man calleth Iesus Christ but by the holie Spirite Behold As he first sought the eare so nowe hee desireth the eie of GOD For the godly are not at reste within themselues before they firste feele that all the senses of their God as it were are exercised vppon them for even as they who favoure not but of those earthly things some not to themselues able to liue vnles they haue the eare of the Princes of this world open vnto them and haue their eie fixed vpon them so they who seek that everlasting life they depend altogether vpon the eie and eare of God who is the alone author of life and in whose face there is sacietie of joyes For one day is This is the argument of the petition from that joye which is in the Church of God Of this joy he entreateth by way of comparison and he aggregeth it by a comparison taken frō a thing that is lesse of that joy which is in the pavillions of wickednes that is which is without the Church without the which there is nothing but wickednesse as if he should saye The joye of one daye in the Church is more then the joy of a thousand daies without the Church from thence hee concludeth Therefore I had rather hant the threshold in the house of God c. Hee preferreth then the joye of one day in the Church to the joy of many dayes without the Church The reason is because the weight quantity of that spiritual joye which is in the Church recompenseth the shortnesse of the time For one crumme if it were no more of that spirituall joy is of greater weight estimation then is the whole joy of this world Marke if so little a time of spirituall gladnesse begun but onely in this fighting Church vppon earth surpasseth by so many degrees that whole time of the joy which is of this world I pray you how much shal wee say the eternitie of that spirituall ioy to be which at length is to be perfited in the triumphant Church to be more excellent I say then all the joye of this worlde which lasteth but for a moment as it were For the whole time of this joy if it be compared with eternitie what other thing is it then a certaine moment and that gladnes of the world if it be compared with that heavenly ioy how vaine and light is it Compare therfore that everlasting weight of that excellently excellent glorie so to speake with the Apostle with this momentanean lightnesse of worldly ioye 2. Cor. 4 The Prophet said not greate ioye which is in the Church when he brought in the cause wherefore he desired to bee brought home againe into the Church but by waye of comparison he saide that this ioye was greater then that ioy of the whole world is yea he preferred one daye of this ioy to a thousand dayes of worldlie ioye and not only preferred he this ioye which is in the Church to that ioy which is in the world but having vtterly abandoned this worldly ioye he choose that spiritual ioy Here then I marke that is not sufficient if we saye there is a great ioye in the Church of God vnlesse wee prefer the same also vnto the whole ioye of this world Againe it is not ynough if in worde we prefer the same except also wee make some choise thereof also in this life Moyses choose rather to bee afflicted with the people of God then to enjoy the commodities of iniquitie If therefore Moyses choose the affliction and misery of the Church having contemned altogether the royall pleasures how much more ought we to choose that gladnesse which is in the Church of God having despised in the meane time all the pleasures of this worlde Which ioy surely if we choose not in this life in some certaine measure certainely wee shall never enioy that perfite pleasure which is in the other life For God is the Sun The reason wherefore hee choose rather to haunt the thresholde in Gods house taken from God himselfe and from his presence in the Church as of a certaine Sunne and Shield God is a certaine Sun because the beame of his grace shineth in our harts 2. Cor. 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speaketh And hee is a shield because he protecteth rescueth his Church and defendeth it from evill For without the Church there is no protection no salvation as there is no light no grace But the borrowed figuratiue speeches following expound these wordes by which it is saide first Iehova giveth grace and glory For for this cause he is called a Sun Then is subjoyned Hee restrayneth not good from them which walk in vprightnes That is who are truly and really of the Church But vnderstand therewith he holdeth off and restrayneth evill from the Church and the members of the Church For for this hee is called a shield Mark who finally ar they who chose to dwell in the house of God or in the church to wit those only ar they who behold that Sunne shining in the Church and that buckler which protecteth the Church But others vpon whome that Sun hath not shined and whom that shield defendeth not they are so farre from that that they would dwell in the Church of GOD that contrariwise with all their heart they abhor the societie of the Church and of the Saintes It is therefore greatly to the purpose once to haue looked vpon that presence of god in his church 13 O Iehoua of hostes blessed is the man that hath his confidence in thee O Iehova blessed is the man The conclusion of the prayer conteining an excellent acclamatorie sentence in which Dauid having considdered that presence of GOD in his Church hee publisheth him to bee blessed who putteth his trust in God that is who is in the Church and enjoyeth that presence of God in his Church He therefore that beholdeth God present in his Church not only he chooseth to dwel in the Church but he judgeth him to be blessed whosoever hee be that by faith and loue in God joyneth himself vnto the Church and that man alone indeede is the judge of the true felicitie and miserie of man who seeth the presence of GOD in his Church for this man judgeth yea and he judgeth indeede aright from that presence of God either of the happinesse or miserie of man To God therefore in his Church be all glory through Iesus Christ for evermore Amen The Argument of the CXVI Psalme Of this Psalme there are fiue partes The first he professeth his loue toward God and he
5. 13. to bee in displeasure then to be joyfull Ezek. 3. 1. If any man be afflicted among you Let him pray Is any man merrie let him sing All things haue the owne time There is a time of vveeping and there is a time of singing Although in that place The amplifying of the deed immediatly preceeding to wit of the casting away of the instruments of al matter of joy from the contrarie authoritie commandement of the Babylonians who when they had caried the people of God away captiue they required of them thus carried awaie Joyfull songs but the Church indeede was not mooved and brought on to sing for all their authority and command For the soule that is humbled by Gods hand cannot be lifted vp by any authority of men neither can bee be merry It is God alone who as he induced either by praier or reward to huÌ„bleth so may he lift vp the dejected minde Psal 40. 4. He put a new song into my mouth Marke next that he addeth Those who carried vs away captiues as if he should saye Those selfe same men who were the cause of sorrowe vnto vs they required vs that we should minister joy vnto them Nowe the Prophet signifieth here that they would haue had the people to do some absurde and vnreasonable thing for the enemies of God and of the Church are not to bee stirred vp to joy for so they should flatter and please themselues in their owne malice Thou seest againe here that the Babylonians are not so much indeede as touched with any sense of the present sorow of the Church The vngodly know not what the displeasure or what the ioye of the godly is They vanish away in their owne imaginations neither yet do they feele inwardly in their hart ether true solide dolour and joy For their hart is not established by grace Heb. 13. â— How could we The church bringeth in the causes wherefore shee was not mooved no not so much as by the authority of the Babylonians to sing to the end that you may know it is not sufficient if we resist the superiour powers of any obstinate affection and obdured minde for the power of the Babylonians over the people was according to the will and ordinance of GOD except wee haue also most iust and graue causes to disobey Also the first reason is taken from the prophaning of the holy songs which is to bee vnderstoode in these wordes The songs of Iehova Then in the Lande of strangers That is in a prophane land among prophane men For to sing the songs of Iehova that is the songs that are holy vnto God at the pleasure of prophane men what other thing is it then to prophane the holy things of God for to lay out whatsoever holy things either the word of God or the Sacraments or any other thing of that sort vnto the pleasure of men that are defiled and vncleane which doe not seeke so much as their owne edifying in them or the glory of God but their owne vncleane delight what other thing is it I praye you then to caste pearles before swine If I forget the other reason from the forgetting of Ieruschalaim of the church of God it is made after this maner If I shal now sing sayeth the holy congregation this were to forget Ierusalem and the Church of God But I will not forget Ierusalem Therfore I will not sing Marke then what it is to sing or rejoice in the meane time that the Church of God is any way afflicted Surely it is no other thing then to forget the church But contrariwise to murne with the murning Church what other thing is it then to remember the Church For we testifie that we haue a regard of the Church of God and that we take care thereof from this common affection and this mutual compassion whereby it commeth to passe that wee rejoyce with the rejoycing Church murne with her when she mourneth The assumptioÌ„ of this reason is not set down nakedly but with an execration wherby he wisheth a vengeance to fal vpon him self that is the impotencie of his own right hand if he shal strik the harp therwith the vnmoveablenes of his tong if he shuld sing with the same for this cause he doth this thing becaus he waited assuredly for sum trouble no table judgement of God to light vpon himself if it should come to passe that he shuld forget God his church for thee execrations obtestations ar an evideÌ„t that ther abideth theÌ„ who forget the Church of God who thâ—â— do laugh when the Church weepeth there abideth them I saye an heavie judgement of God If I call not This is the amplification of the words preceeding as if he shuld say Not only will I remember but I will prefer and make more of the Church of GOD aboue the head of my ioye that is I will esteeme more of then of my ioye although it were never so great For it is not ynough to remember the church but we must of necessitie prefer it to all things whatsoever 7 Remember O Iehova against the Edomits the day of Ieruschalaim who said vncover vncover so long as the foundation thereof shal be in it 8 O Nation of Babylonia that is to bee destroyed let him be blessed who shall recompense thee the wicked deede whereby thou hast troubled vs 9 Blessed shall he be who shal tak hold and break in peeces thy yong ones dashing them against a stone REmember The other parte of the Psalme or an imprecation against the Edomites and a prophetical denunciation against the Babylonians First then after that the Church hath bewailed her captiuitie in the middes of the sorrow she turneth her selfe vnto God and shee prayeth for an vtter vengeance vppon her neighbours the Edomites Then shee turneth her self against the Babylonians and she denunceth assuredly the judgement of God to come vpon them We learne by the example of this Church from what affection any imprecations and threatnings whatsoever should proceede against Gods enemies That is from an heavines and sorrow of the heart and not froÌ„ any light motion of the mind For when they come from sorrow heavines then indeed they are heavie and in their owne time they bring on a sure judgement otherwise they are but light and they provoke God more to wrath against our selues then against our enemies Marke as concerning the Edomites we read not that they together with the Babylonians overthrew the cittie of God only they did showâ— in allowing the Babylonians in the meane time while they were destroying Ieruschalaim O Babylonians saide they vncover vncover And therefore they were involved in the same judgement with the Babylonians They who assent to the wicked and persecutors of the Church either in word or in hearte they are reckoned also in the number of the persecutors and shall bee together judged with them Then as concerning the Babylonians not only they denunce the judgment against them but blessednesse is pronounced also and promised vnto the instruments and executors of that judgement to come Darîus Medus Cyrus to the end that we might know that those are blessed who execute the work of GOD diligently as contrariwise they are cursed who doe the worke of God negligently Blessing is pronunced vpon them also who notwithstanding had not so much God before their eies in that work as the enlarging of their own Empyre How much more shall they be blessed who while they ar doing the work of the lord diligently for the Lords sake himself they do it that al the glorie of the work may solidely for ever redound vnto him Amen Proverb 10 vers 7. The memoriall of the just shall be blessed But the name of the wicked shall rotte Isaiah 57 vers 1. The righteous perisheth and no man considdereth it in heart and merciful men are taken away and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous is taken away from the evill to come Reuel 11. 14. vers 13. Then I heard a voyce from heauen saying vnto me Write Blessed are the dead which hereafter die in Lord Even so sayeth the Spirite for they rest from their laboures and their workes follow them FINIS
is the other reason of the petition The other reason of the petition from Gods glorie from the glorie of God himselfe For as that former reason was from our owne miserie in the third and fourth verses so this latter is from the glorie of God which through this present estate of DAVID appeareth to be called in question Lord saith hee in death there is no remembrance of thee Therefore keepe me aliue The cause wherefore the godly liue awhile vpon the earth before they â—lit hence to the lord For this cause God will haue vs to liue in the land of the living and as it were to liue as strangers absente from the Lorde that first through faith wee might worship him in his sonne Iesus Christ in this life before wee fullie enjoyed that his presence in that other Every one of the godly knowing this they desire to bee preserved for a time yea euen in this life for this end in speciall which the Lorde himselfe hath appoynted and as the Apostle speaketh of the creatures Rom. 8. 20. not so much after their will as after his owne will who will haue them for a time to be pilgrimes absent from their Lord. Therefore so oft as we see the Saintes so earnestlie to desire this life and the preservation thereof at Gods hands we must not thinke that this is done by them for this cause that they even delight so much in this life The cause why the godly desire to remaine in this life or that they abhor this bodely death but rather that they earnestly desire to glorifie their God among the living and to exalte his militant Church kingdom vpon the earth they desire not to â—itte from thence while they haue wonne some vnto Christ and as it were by stretching out their hande they carie them vp with themselues into the heavens For this present life is chiefely to be consecrat to God Gods affayres Yea and this is the cause why Ezechias tooke death in so evill a part denunced vnto him Esa â—â— And this also is the cause wherefore Paule when otherwise he choosed rather to sâ—it out of the body nevertheles hee choosed rather to remaine in the body to the ende that hee might propagat the Church of Christ might bring men vnto the â—aith Phil. 1. 23. 24. Finally this was the cause wherefore so earnestly DAVID sought in so many Psalmes the prolonging of his life Psa 30. 88. 118. Notwithstanding David in this Psalme appeareth not so much to be oppressed with the sicknes of his body as with the sicknes of his soule sense of the wrath of God And therfore he is not so affraid of this bodely death as of that spirituall casting off yea that through the sense of the flesh part not renewed Wherfore we may consider with our selues that he spak of that eternal death of the burial of the hell in which no man will prayse God Therefore you see that the godlie also abhorre and are affrayd for the bell and againe you see that they desire life and salvation not so much for their owne cause as for Gods glories sake For neither DAVID in this place somuch respecteth his owne life and salvation as the prayse of GOD yea and that specially troubled him that being once cast out from the face of God he should not at any time there after be a Preacher of Gods prayses And this is a most sure evident of the salvation of the godlie if they feele in themselues a desire and careful indevour of gloryfiing God For it is not possible that that soule can bee deteined in Hell which aspyreth to God and to his glorie I faynt in my mourning Hytherto haue bene declared The three reasons of the petition from a most grieâ—ous senâ—e of misery the two reasones of the earnest seeking of mercy The firste in the third and fourth verses The second in the sixt verse Now followeth the third in the sevent and eight verses from the dolour and feeling of a most grieuous miserie Hee expresseth this sorrow diverse manner of waies For first he sayeth I faynt in my mourning Then I make my bed saith hee all the night to swimme Thirdly saith he I make my bed side to melt with my teares I grant that these speaches are very excessiue For in truth neither made DAVID so much as his bedde to swimme neither yet melted hee his bedde-side with his teares notwithstanding the inward dolour of his mind was no les then are those externall thinges which are here spoken of For out of all question if it could haue bene possible that DAVIDS eies had bene capable of so many teares as had bene sufficient to haue made his bed to swimme or to melt his bed-side surely there was such a great sorrow in DAVIDS hart as had bene sufficient to lowse them and to powre them out and certainlie DAVIDS bodie in verie deede was almost consumed and as it were melted with that sorrow For to speake this once of this griefe of DAVID this is first manifest that it was not so much contracted by reason of the bodely sicknes with which notwithstanding hee was most heavily oppressed as it was indeede by reason of the feeling of the wrath of God those terrours of hel the which grief indeed is the greatest that can 〈◊〉 imagined none is to be compared vnto it Then DAVID was such a one who now before had oft tasted how gracious the Lorde was as PETER â—peaketh Yea and hee himselfe at this same verie time was not altogether voyde of all feeling of his mercy And therefore it came to passe that he tooke this wrath of the angrie GOD in so evill a parte For it is sure that howe much the more greater the experience of the mercie of God be so much the more doth any man take in evill parte the wrath of God and he is the more in that respect troubled through the offence of so mercifull a Father And for these causes From whence proceeded the greate fear of the Saintes who other waies wer indued with a singular courage of minde the aunciente holy men otherwise indewed with excellente courage and strength of minde when they came before God they vtter a most effeminat softnesse and dejection of minde There was no man of greater courage of mind then David notwithstanding at this time he was altogether powred out as it were in teares for that invincible strength of mind is not otherwise to be vttered when wee haue to doe with God and with his wrath for what other thing els would this bee then to harden our heart against the hand of God humbling vs And that we haue not experience of this grief in our selues which David as he hath vttered in this Psalme sayeth was in himself the cause is this stupiditie of our hart this fleshly security with the which wee are also cast vppe into dead sleepe
cryeth out after this manner Great sorrowes are for the wicked That is to the obstinate man in his wickednesse But contrariwise they that put their confidence in Iehova mercie compasseth him That is defendeth and strengtheneth him vpon all side that hee may be sure on everie side from the assaultes and tentationes of the enemie So then he terrifieth the senselessâ— by denunciation of miserie he confirmeth the faithfull by the preaching of happines He setteth then before the minds of the senseles men the estate both of the faithful of the vnfaithfull yea with such a weight of words that if it be possible he may once shake off from them that senslesnes Marke here first DAVID himself being delivered from this be nummednes fleshlie security hee preseÌ„tly beholdeth those which sleep soundly as it were in sin having looked vpon them hee esteemeth them miserable yea hee thinketh no more of them nor of horses mules The godlie fra once they haue awakened out of sinne and their eyes are opened then looking vppon them whome you may see everie-where to be cast vp in a deep sleep yea that they are not able to bee awakened by anie afflictions out of that deepe sleepe of securitie they esteeme no more of them then of vn-dantoned beasts being voyd of al reason vnderstanding And surely in very deed except they repent they are in worse case then the beasts themselues who soever finallie they be Men that are Princes think themselues to be blessed when they leape on vpon their horses Mules they driue theÌ„ hither thither but if they do that not taking care of God of his mercy in Iesus christ then verelie they ar more miserable then their horses mules It may be indeed that they may oppresse and overthrow all for a shorte time according to their pleasure But except in time they be awakened out of so deadly sopor it wil come to passe that God will cast a bridle into their mouth while they say Peace and all thinges are at reste a suddaine destruction shall come vppon them â— Thes 5. 3. as the paines vpon a travelling woman It was not said in vaine by Christ Watch pray Math. 26. 40. For there is no surer token of a most greevous judgement to come then carnall securitie Obserue also DAVID having felt in experience the miserie of senselesse men the happinesse of the godly hee weigheth them both earnestlye in his owne minde and of them both he speaketh passing grauely For those who once felt in experience and tasted both of miserie and felicitie these surely are they who ar both able to speak most weightlie of the miserie happines of men and also who best may ponder in their mind the misery of man and his felicitie I say they are ablest to speake from the soule and feeling of the heart of hel of heauen of the paines of hell and of the joy of heaven For it is not to be thought that everie man indifferently can speake of those thinges as it becommeth or that every man without difference can be capable of them wheÌ„ hee heareth any godlie man and experienced in them to talke thereof Wherefore I propose to everie secure man and to him that is oppressed with that deadly sopour but this one sentence to be weighed all his life long to witte this which is to bee had in this place Great sorrowes are for the wicked man But he which hath his confidence in the Lorde mercie shall compasse him For this cause I obserue these things the more carefully that we endevoure our selues to those thinges that wee feele our soules as it were burdened oppressed first with the weight and burthen of misery then with the weight of that excellentlie excellent weight of happines glory to speak so with the Apostle For so it shal come to passe that we shal be able moste grauely yea with some weight to preach of that miserie and happines of man once to touch if it be possible this benummed world with some seÌ„se of those things which verely if it be not in time commoved in some sort with the weight of those things it wil surely come to pas that it salbe oppressed in hel with that intolerable burtheÌ„ of the wrath of â—od 11 Be glad ye righteous and reioyce in Iehoua sing all yee that be vpright in mind The conclusion of the psalme BE glad Hitherto hath bin expouÌ„ded the secoÌ„d part of the psalme to wit the application here followeth now the last part the conclusion in which he exhorteth them whom immediatly before hee had declared to be blessed acceptable to Iehova to gladnes and to some certaine signes of joy such as ar songs Be glad saieth he ye righteous reioyce in Iehova Be glad saith he not in your selues but in Iehova from whence alone is al that blessednesse of yours in Iesus Christ For so speaketh the Apostle 1. Cor. 1. 50 Yee are of him in Christe Iesus whereby he signifyeth that all that excellencie and blessednesse of ours is from GOD in Christ Iesus that is through that our most strait conjunction with Christe which is made vnto vs wisedome justification sanctification and redemptions Then he subjoyneth the end thereafter in the 31. verse why we ar of God in Christ that saieth he as it is written Hee that gloryeth let him glorie in the Lord to wit fra time he be in Christ In which place appeareth the wounderful wisdome of God wherby he provideth is carefull for his owne glorie which otherwise men ambitious by nature and blasphemous ascribe to themselues He hath not chosen indeed many wise men not many mightie not many noble but he hath chosen the foolish weak and ignoble things which he wil indew in Christ with the gifts of his grace for that ende especiallie that flesh should not glorie in the self but should acknowledge what so ever thing it hath is received of the Lord and therefore should rejoyce in him through Christ Iesus But who are those whom he exhorteth vnto gladnes Be glad saieth he yee righteous and reioyce ye that are vpright in heart By these names of justice vprightnes from whence is that blessednes For it was saide before yea even of holinesse and sinceritie of the hearte is blessednesse by these names I say he sheweth them to be holie those whome in the verse immediatly before he said was coÌ„passed with Gods mercy In which place first note that none rejoyce at anie time the solide and true joy but the blessed those as he calleth them who are righteous and vpright in hart For I would not call this gladnesse of the worlde which is of vnrighteous miserable men Esay 48. 22. â—7 21. by the name of joye For there is no peace to the wicked sayth the Lord Marke againe that the joy once conceived in minde cannot conteine the selfe but it
will burst out either in singing or in some glorying And therefore DAVID biddeth the righteous man sing and this glorying is not only then when things are prosperous and in happie case yea but even then when they are troublesome For they that are spredde over with that true joy injoy that peace which over commeth all vnderstanding Phil. 4. 7. as PAVLE sayeth They glorie in afflictiones Rom. 5. â— vnder the hope of the glorie of God To whome be all glorie for ever Amen THE ARGVMENT OF the XXXIX Psalme It is a Psalme calling the Prophete to remembrance of his advise that hee had once taken before this time concerning his owne governement Out of the inscription it seemeth to bee Davids And it appeareth out of the thrâ—ede of the text purpose thereof to bee written at that time when hee was cast in extreame great straites by the conspiracie of Abschelom The argument and summe of the Psalme is this David acknowledgeth first that hee wente a stray from his purposed silence and patience and correcting himselfe thereafter he prayeth vnto God First then in this Psalme there is a Narration vnto the 8. verse then there is a prayer vnto the ende of the Psalme Psalme XXXIX 1 A Psalme of DAVID committed to be song to the Maister of Musicke of Ieduthun 2 I had saide I will take heede to my waies least I sinne with my tongue I will keepe a bridle in my mouth so long as the wicked man shall be in my sight 3 I had bene dumme speaking nothing yea I had keeped silence from good when my sorrowe be-gouthe to waxe freshe againe 4 And my minde growing hoate within mee the fyre burning vppe in my meditation I spake with my tongue saying 5 Cause me ô Iehova to prooue in experience mine ende for what is the measure of my dayes I will assaie howe durable I am 6 Beholde thou haste appoynted my daies as hand breadths and my time is as nothing before thee surelie all men is everie waie vanitie although hee bee never so well established Selah 7 Doubtlesse man passeth away by a shaddow surely in vaine they make a noise some man gathereth together but he knoweth not who shall receiue those things I Had said Of the narration Three parts of the narration there are three partes For first he setteth downe the advise that hee had taken to driue over his life in suffering in the 2. verse Then he subjoyneth that as hee had taken purpose so hee begouth to liue at the beginning in the 3. verse Thirdly hee addeth that hee fell away from his begunne advise from the latter part of the third verse to the 8. Then to returne First de declareth The first part that he took purpose to driue over his life patiently And in this meaning he speaketh first ingeneral I will take heede to my waies That is to my whole life Then in speciall Least I sin with my tongue whereby he signifieth hee wil take diligent heede least he go astray in tongue or spech for in ruling of the tongue speach a good part of our life is seene Now to the end he may the better governe his tongue he sayth He will keep in his mouth a bridle To witte to brydle his tongue the borrowed speach beeing taken from vn-rulie Horses Then hee noteth the time of his silence and dantoning of his tongue So long saieth hee as the wicked man shall be in my sight That is howe oft soever it shall please God to exercise me The secoÌ„d part Through wicked mens doing I had bene dome speaking nothing The second part of the narration wherby he openeth vp the begun execution by himselfe of his counsell taken I had bene dome sayeth he Then followeth the amplification from the thing that is more As if hee should saye yea I remembred not so much indeed before them of mine honeste and just defence but I leftall and I patiently suffered Of this see the example in DAVIDS historie of Simei 2. Saâ— 1â— 5. He met DAVID slying from Abschalom and not only he invaded him by wordes but by stones But DAVID with a wounderfull patience susteined the mans opprobrie wronge When my sorrow In the third roome The third part DAVID declareth and sheweth that he had gone astray from his purpose And the summe of the going astraie is set downe in the wordes that follow in the fourth verse I spak with my That is I murmured against God Also the three causes of going astray go before The first is in this place as if he should say When there was none end of afflictiones my sorrowe as a wound waxed greene The second is in the beginning of the next verse My minde growing hoate within mee The third is the seconde parte of the verse following as if he should saye With often meditation and thought mine affection was kindled vppe and was as it were altogether so vehementlie in flamed DAVID manyfesteth this extreame greate perturbation of minde When TZIBA approching hee accused his maister MAPHIBOSHETH as one aspyring to the kingdome falselie 2. Samuel 16. 1. Marke of all these thinges First DAVID tooke purpose to bee patiente and hee begouth to put in practise his purposed advise but hee wente backe from execution It proceedeth of the grace that wee take purpose to doe the thinge that is good It commeth from the grace of GOD that wee beginne to follow out the good thinge that wee haue decreed But scarse haue wee begunne but if wee be left of GOD such is the weaknesse of our nature we presentlie fall awaie Where fore wee haue neede of the continuall grace of GOD all our lifelong and in all the actiones of our life otherwise it is not possible that wee can persever to the ende Secondlie that is to bee marked that DAVID entred not in rashlie into thie this way of silence and patience but he did this advisedly that is having first taken counsel there anent Who soever therefore will patiently driue over this life and liue wel every way he ought to oblish himselfe as it were to doe this thing by a sure determination of his mind and haueing had deliberation thereof before For this thing serveth especially against those suddaine motions of the minde For you may see many caried violently hither and thither in an instant with their owne affectiones The cause is that they never yet decreed with themselues to driue over their life patiently From whence it came to passe that if they bee mooved yea with the least trifling thing presently their tongue is lowsed to reproches and their hande is enarmed to commit sum haynous wicked fact Men commonlie thinke that it is not the parte of a couragious mind to suffer wrong neither yet thinke they that they are men of Spirite vnlesse they be transformed into beasts Surely I judge that none of those men were stronger in Spirit then DAVID or greater in
Christ sayeth My meat is to doe the will of him that sente me this is the thing which chiefly I delight in So the teares are saide to be meate in this place because hee who is in the estate of heauinesse delighteth in teares and drinketh them in greedelie as any most sweete liquor For there is some naturall pleasure in everie affection when the affection is left to the selfe Yea in the passion of sorrowe there is a delight although there be not in it a solide joye But if the Spirit of God stir vp those sighes those teares now there is another joy yea and that solide indeed conjoyned with the teares themselues together with inutterable sighes of which the Apostle PAVLI speaketh Rom. 8. It is that gladnes which PETER calleth in his first Epistle vnspeakable and glorious and together with those teares the water of grace and life is drunken-in Neither yet in this life to speake the thing which I thinke is there any solide joye of the Christian man vnlesse it bee then while he reioyceth he powreth out teares sighes is heavie But in that other life All teares shall bee â—iped â—waie from the eies 〈…〉 4. as IOHN speaketh While it is saide Hee adjoyneth the cause of his sorrow that bitter mocking of the enemies which daylie in steede of a reproche they cast vppe in his teeth Where is thy God There was indeede sufficient matter of displeasure in that that he was destitute of that visible presense of God in his Church but for this cause sorrowe was heaped vpon sorrow in respect it was objected by his enemies by way of mockage that he himself was left of GOD. This is no new thinge with the persecutors of the Church throwen downe and humbled yea this waie to vp-brayde any particular member thereof Looke Psal 137. In which it is saide of the Church When we sate weeping at the rivers of Rabell But what did the Babylonians then in that mourning They required of vs saye they in skorne ioyful songs such as wee had sunge in Ierusalem This same thinge also shall wee feele in experience if ever it come to passe through the righteous judgement of God that wee be spoyled of this presence of God in his Gospel the meditation of which evill now appeareth to be some-what light But after that it commeth to passe through the righteous judgement of God then in very deede wee shall finde in experience how grievous it is I speake of those especially who sometime delighteth in the presence of God in his word Remembring these things Again he setteth downe his griefe and hee conjoyneth therewith a new argument of sorrow I powre out my soule vpon my selfe As if he should saye Not onelie I powre out teares but I powre out the verie soule which with displeasure melteth within me The inward lousing of the soule and of the affection thereof is the cause that the bodie and the eies are resolved into teares And manie times yea our eies are not indeed sufficiently of power to furnish teares to our heavinesse after that till all the teares are powred out and the bodie as it were dryed vp Then the passion of sorrow vseth to be vehement when it is left to the owne libertie He adjoyneth the cause of so great a sorrow Remembring these things sayeth he to witte which follow That I was woont sayeth hee to passe by in the multitude As the remembrance of the former miserie after a deliverance is conjoyned with gladnesse for that man never rejoyced solidely at any time which was not first before displeased in earnest so the remembrance of the by-paste felicitie after that anye happie man is made miserable is conjoyned with a great dolor of mind Thus seeing it is customable in any other thing what soever it hath chiefelie place in matters Spiritual and heavenly For to him it seemeth to be intollerable who at some times had GOD present with him in Christ if he be at any time left destitute of his preseÌ„ce epecially if any externall affliction for the preseÌ„t lie over his head but if in the meane time with the remembrance of the former presence together with the dolor there be a desire of that preseÌ„ce surely there is some gladnesse conjoyned with that sorrow Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousnesse for they shall be filled and Gods ancient mercie shall come vpon them whereof they remember an argumente of the assurance of Gods presence to bee restored in time to come Moreover it is to be marked in this place that fra once the presence of GOD is withdrawen all sorrow and adverse things meete vs in the waye as are the skornings of the enemies and the remembrance of felicitie past 6 Why castest thou downe thy selfe ô my soule and makest a noyse within me Hope in God for I will yet prayse him and the salvation of his face that is of all sortes 7 My God my soule casteth downe the selfe in me The other part of the Psalme WHy castest thou down In this second parte of the Psalme he waltereth as it were suddainelie out of the middest of sorrow and draweth courage to himselfe And first by a turned speech he speaketh to his owne soule Then next to God the fountaine of al comforte Also hee calleth backe as it were again his soule out of the helles For it was very greatly cast downe as the words themselues shew For this is the custom of the godlie that after for a time they haue given liberty vnto displeasure and haue said to their soule as it were Receiue not comforte but drinke in sorrow as water for in dolour and heavinesse for a time is the rejoycing of the godlie After they haue sufficientlie and aboundantlie given place to sorrow and are now altogether caste downe and astonished presently they ryse vp and encourage themselues by the grace of God and some certaine motion of the holy Spirit which leaveth them not vtterly for ever Moreover they doe it after this ordour First they rebuke and correct their owne soule and affection which thing Dauid doth here no otherwaies then a mother doth her childe which hath not yet the vse of reason at which time it is whollie powred out into teares Then after rebuke they comfort their soule and exhorteth it to hope in God altogether after the same fashion whereby mothers after they haue sharpely rebuked their children comfort them It is to be marked that David lifteth vp his soule vnto hope For to hope in God it is the onely remedie against desperation For hope is contrary to desperation and whosoever they bee that are of a cast-downe minde if in the meane time they be not lifted vppe by hope they will fall into desperation and will perish at length From whence proceeded that desperat sorrow of the Gentiles which was without faith without hope without Christ And the same day also how many soever they be that are in the
indeede is done for this cause that they themselues may come vnto the knowledge of Gods nature And maie knowe firste howe good hee is who will not haue his owne to lye sluggishing in their sinnes Then nexte because hee is holye and just in respect he beginneth his judgement at his owne house yea and will not winke indeed at the sinnes of his owne For that I may affirme boldlie that the godlie for the most parte are chastised of GOD in this life And that GOD is exceeding long suffering towarde the vngodlie But the Godlie on the otherside are touched with a sense of Gods loue in this life From thence arise that interchaunge of sorrowe and joye in this life But the vngodly abusing the long suffring of God in this life they shal feel at last the vnappeaseable wrath of God Hitherto hath bin repeated the petition of remission of sinnes Now he seeketh that other benefite of Regeneration which is conjoyned of necessity with the forgiuenes of sins Creat in me a clear mind Then by way of clearing of the mater be preseÌ„tly subjoyneth Renew a firme spirit within me as if he shuld say This work of New-birth begun in me by thy Spirit but vpon my parte interrupted O God renew repaire in me that thy Spirite in time to come may be firme and constant and I through the benefite thereof may persevere in thine obedience There are two benefits necessary in reconciling vs to â—od which selfe same thinges God promiseth to vs in the free covenant to wit forgiuenesse of sinnes and regeneration Ier. 31. 33. and both are obtained in Christ For by the blood of Christ our sinnes are forgiven and by the powerful holy Spirite of Christ wee are borne of new againe For the alone and selfe-same Christ as the Priest died for our sinnes and as King he is powerfull to regenerate vs by his holy Spirite and worde Dauid therefore after hee hath sought forgiuenesse of sins in Christ hee earnestly craveth the New-birth and renewing of that interrupted worke of Gods holye Spirite in himselfe Considder here first that the holye Spirite is made so joyfull by Gods workes and a good conscience that he courageovsly maketh progres in the work of our Regeneration But contrariwise Ephes â— 30. the Spirite of God is so touched with griefe by evil works as the Apostle testifieth that hee ceaseth as it were from that work and leaveth off in the middest that begun worke of New-birth The Spirite now leaving his owne worke in the middest presently there aryseth darknesse in the minde which maketh that bright light of the countenance of GOD to passe out of sight and to vanish away from our eies and incontinent our heart waxeth harde as a certaine skarre of a wound and becommeth benummed and without sense so that the holy Spirite of God is very hardly raysed vp againe being oppressed with the darknesse of mind and hardnesse of heart And from thence aryse those mournings and sighes of the godlie fighting with the darknesse of their heart And from thence arose that speeche of PAVLE O miserable man that I am who shall deliver mee from the bodie of this death Rom. 7. 24 Considder here againe DAVID craveth not Regeneration by the Spirite of Christ before hee first haue sought the forgiuenesse of sinnes through the blood of Christ This order of the petitiones evidentlie declareth that of necessitie we must bee first justified by Christ before we bee sanctified in our selues which thing also the righteousnesse of GOD requireth which suffereth not the Image of GOD to bee repaired in vs which is according to righteousnesse and holinesse before first God bee satisfied for all our â—innes For it is not possible that GOD canne renounce his owne justice Nowe after that thou art justified then there is place to Regeneration and the Petition thereof not indeede that having attayned to it thou quiet thy selfe chiefelie in the same But thou muste speciallie and alwaie thereafter quiet thy selfe in that moste perfite righteousnesse of Christe without the which not all this holinesse which is in vs dare bee so bolde to come foorth once into the sight of GOD. For our Regeneration and holinesse is but begunne onelie in this life and neither by the selfe pacifyeth the wrath of GOD neither 〈◊〉 our consciences And 〈…〉 the Papistes are more 〈…〉 leaving this moste perfiâ—e righteousnesse of Christ will quiet themselues in their owne and in that which they call inherente And againe for this cause they are more miserable that vnderstande not what this inherente righteousnesse is which is none other thing in verie deede but that the Regeneration of our nature is onely but begun in this life wherfore we ought to praye to GOD that he would not suffer vs to be involved in this darknes and that he would not suffer vs to bee seduced by men which this daye are blinded in so cleare a light Cast me not away Hee continueth in this seconde petition of the holy Spirite and of Regeneration Cast me not away sayeth he from thy face then expressing the same thing clearely Take not thine holy Spirit from me sayeth hee Nothing can befall a man more grievous in this life then if he be left of GOD. For seeing that God is the fountaine of all good thinges GOD leaving man all good thinges also therewith leaue him All good things leauing him hee is therewith layde open to all evill thinges If God be on our side Rom. â— 31. who shall be against vs No not these thinges indeede which seeme to bee most displeasant contrary For all things worke together for the best to them that loue God Contrariwise all worke together for the worse to them that loue not GOD yea even those things which otherwise appeare to make for vs. Nowe although there be so great an evill in the desertion of God Notwithstanding the elect also are at some time destitute of the Spirit of GOD which is the thing that DAVID teached vs in this place by his owne example Verely I say not this for this cause that I thinke the Spirite once giuen to the elect thereafter is allutterly taken from them For the giftes and calling of God are without repentance But that for a certaine space the efficacie of the holye Spirite is not seene in governing of the elect yea that especially for this ende that they maye bee humbled that they may learne that it is not possible for them to stand yea but for one momente vnles they bee susteined by Gods grace and his holy Spirit Whereby it commeth to passe that the elect after they haue found in experience howe infirme and fragill they are by nature without the Spirite of God nowe being destitute thereof for a time they more carefully and with more feruent desires earnestlie craue his presence and helpe This is the second thing which hee offereth here to vs to bee learned by his owne
somewhat it is worse then to bee nothing at all Let the Papistes take heede to this that make so much of the nature of man yea to wit so exellent make they it Dauid reckoned it amongst the most vainest things but they will haue it to bee somewhat also in themselues and they take away something from gods grace that some vprightnesse may be giuen to man Of these thinges marke first a great difference betwixt them that put their confidence in God and them who trust to other thinges They who put their assurance in God they verye willinglie communicat this benefit with others and will haue all men with them to put their trust in God But those who put their confidence in other thinges as in riches in honoures in the arme of man they do not willinglie admit any others whosoeuer into their fellowship and participation of these things For they woulde together and at one time devoure them vppe themselues God is a good thinge which is sufficient for all men neither yet if many at once bee participant of him any one man shall be in a worse case who is participant together with the rest neither yet for this doth hee receiue the lesse but he rather is in a better case and receiueth more the mo fellowes he hath of the selfe same benefite Marke secondly hee admonisheth vs to put our trust in God and that wee powre out our mindes before him These two are so coupled among themselues that he who trusteth in God of necessitie hee powreth out into his bosome as it wer all the secretes of his minde But conâ—â—ariwise he who trusteth not this man albeit hee seeme at some time to praye and to open vp his minde vnto GOD notwithstanding he never dealeth earnestlie and freely with GOD but the thing that he doeth he doeth it coldly and for the fashion onelie For it is not possible that any man who beleeueth noâ— in GOD will communicate his secretes and cares of his minde familiarlie with God Rom. 〈◊〉 14. How shall they call vpon him sayeth S. PAVLâ— in whome they haue not beleeued Note thirdly David while hee quieteth himselfe in that towre as it were watching and beholding all men appeare not onelie to be vaine in his sight but to bee vanitie it selfe Those surelie who sirmelie by faith-cleane vnto God these I say onely are they who look vpon the vanitie of men yea and rather the miserie and vanitie of this world For it is not granteed to euerie man presentlie to considder and discerne it But those onely are they who see no solide thinge but in God alone and these are onely they who rightlie can giue their iudgement concerning the blessednesse and miserie of the creature in respect they onelie haue experience of that true blessednesse that is in God Trust not to oppression The second admonition directed to the wicked seruantes of Saul pertening of necessitie to euerie one of them whatsoever Now he warneth them that they should not trust to oppression and that by reafe they should not vanish awaye But wee must take heede to this word of vanishing away for this cause we trust to euerie thinge that by them wee may firmelie stande and neither fall downe nor vanish away These verelie stand firmely alone who put their confidence in GOD alone But they who put their truste in any other things whatsoeuer they are so farre away from that that by them they are able to stande that contrarie waies they vanish and fall away none other wayes then water powred on vpon sand If riches abounde set not your minde This warning generally pertaineth to all men whatsoeuer God hath once spoken This is a common argument to both the partes of the admonition and it is taken from Gods judgment himselfe The stronge mightie and mercifull God will recompence all men according to their workes let euerie man therefore take heede whether hee trusteth in GOD or in other thinges The antesident is prouen by the testimonie of Gods owne worde yea and that twise repeated ouer God hath spoken to me sayeth he c. As if he should say The same God hath verie oft confirmed it vnto me Obserue first David envieth not this excellent good thinge in them which is GOD him selfe notwithstanding they envied yea this verie transitorie life of his For to this purpose belongeth this admonition By Davids example therefore thou hast set downe the nature of the Church together with the disposition of the enemies thereof These doe envie the verie transitorie life of the members of the Church but the Church envieth not them yea she wisheth vnto them earnestlie life euerlasting Christ prayed for them that cursed him Steuen prayed that the sins of those that stoned him should not be laide to their charge Marke heare secondlie how great the madnes of man is for it is a verie greate sinne to put confidence in thinges which otherwaies are indifferent as in riches in honours or in the arme of man which thinges you may vse well also How great then is the madnesse and howe grieuous is their sinne which put their hope in reafe and oppression and in other thinges that are of their owne nature evill which things you can at no time vse well Notwithstanding some cause of this so great a madnesse may bee learned yea by this Example of SAVLES courtiers to witte that they committed all these thinges without any punishment Now men presentlie thinke that this is permitted to them to doe which is permitted to be done without any inflicting of punishment This confidence therefore in wicked thinges is not so much to be imputed to the wicked doers themselues as it is to bee laide to their charge whome it became to haue punished them as to Saull and to the other magistrates who vse to winke at the wicked deedes of courtiers and of their flatterers howsoeuer perverslie and preposterouslie magistrates and earthlie judges giue libertie to wicked men malefactours We learne in this place that that heauenlye judge shall make it to come to passe that the wicked at length shall vanish away in their reafe and oppression Finally this is not to bee pretermitted that David sayeth that hee was once and againe admonished concerning that righteous judgemeÌ„t of God whereby hee will recompence euerie man according to his worke Which thing indeed is an euident that David thought now and then of that last and terrible judgement Of the which surelie it becommeth vs all yea the beste men whosoeuer oft to meditate thereon For this is the nature yea of the beste men that looking vpon that terrour of the Lorde they haue neede to be brought vnder correction For Paul speaketh thus of himself knowing sayth he that terrour of the Lorde we bring men to the faith VVee are to bee allured I grant by the sight of Gods mercy in Christ to doe our dutie Notwithstanding such is our nature vnlesse on the on parte as we are
follow whereby he bringeth vs neerer and maketh vs to approch hard to himselfe For vnles he himselfe tooke holde of vs drew vs as it were to himselfe surelie being called out we shoulde not bee moved out of our place Vpon this finallie doeth that part follow which maketh vs to dwell in his courtes Our calling therefore beginneth from that choise which God maketh and it passeth fordward by that drawing neere vnto God and at last it endeth in that dwelling which is with GOD in his Church But the phrase of speach which hee vseth in vttering out of this benefite of calling is not to bee pretermitted in silence For hee speaketh not this coldlie barelie thou choosest vs but with ane outcrye and a certaine woundering of the greatnesse of this benefite Blessed is he sayeth hee whome thou choosest So wee are taught not so much to pronounce as to wonder at al the benefits of God in Christ such is that in comprehensible and vnspeakeable greatnesse of them all But surelie some certaine apprehension is speciallie required to this matter of the benefites of God in our own harts For of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and he who feeleth nothing in his heart verelie speaketh ather litle or nothing in his mouth We are filled He commendeth this benefite of calling from the effects following The first is in Gods action toward them that are alreadie called bee him The seconde is in the worde of God As concerning the action hee filleth vs sayeth hee with good thinges holy as concerning the words thou speakest out vnto vs thinges to bee in thy righteousnes reuerenced He who receiueth anye man in ludgeing and setteth him at table there are two things summarilie that he is able to do in entreating of his guhest humanelie and daintelie First in setting before him the most delicate meate which he may feede vpon the other is in delighting his eares making his heart glad with most pleasant and glade speeches of all sortes GOD dothe both these thinges to vs whome hee hath once called and invited hauing thought vs worthie of his table But the wordes are somewhat more diligentlie to bee considered Of these thinges wherewith we are filled in the house of God there are two properties first they are good and healthsome vnto vs Then they are holie By these good and holy thinges are all the spirituall blessinges in Christ meante Of the wordes also which hee speaketh there are likewise two properties the first is that they are reuerent and therefore do require reuerence at the hearers hands The second is that they are in righteousnesse that is just vpright and sincere without falshood without lying Also in these words the promises of God concerning good and holy thinges are to bee vnderstood greater they are then we are able to comprehend in this life but we shall be capable of them in that other life You see then with howe great gladnesse with howe greate a reioysing of heart we haue our abode in the house of God and do sit as it were at his table who not onely are ioyfull by faith of the goode thinges present that is by the present apprehension of them but also by the hope of the benefites to come which will be farre greater then those present Of these effects wee see that that David not without cause published that man to be blessed whome God did choose For what is it to bee blessed if this bee not with so great a joy and gladnes of soule to bee filled with thinges so good so holy in the meane time to heare the promises of things to come exceeding great so reuerent so righteous so true O God of our saluation There is two titles of God heare the one which respecteth the Church for saluation belongeth to the Church The other which respecteth all thinges created for confidence is of al things created Consider heare first then as the goodnes of God not onelie extendeth the selfe to the Church albeit chiefly to the Church but also to al things created to these also which are without the Churche for he suffereth not yea euen the wicked to be destitute of his testimony Doing good vnto thē giuing vnto them raynes from the heauēs fruitful seasons filling their harts with food and gladnes Euen so the Godlie look vpon God not onlye vppon his benefites towarde the Church but also in his benefites towarde All thinges created Considder nixt that there is some confidence also in God of the dūme and brutish creatures For in their owne fashion they thirste for the grace of God and haueing gotten the same in their owne maner they repose themselues quietlie in their God finally they wait with certaine sighes the Reuelation of the sonnes of God with whome they also shal be set at freedome Of this matter looke Rom. 8. In which place the hope of that glorye to come is not giuen to man but to those who haue the first fruites of the spirit but in the same place some hope notwithstanding of the glorye to come is attributed to the creatures that you maye see that the thinges create brutish and dumme are in a better case then men if they be not regenerated by the spirit of GOD. Stablishing the mountaines Nowe followe the corporall benefites of God belonging in common to all thinges created Thou visitest Here follow the benefites bodielie belonging to his owne Church vnto the ende of the Psalme All which thinges seeing they neede no exposition but are easie to be vnderstoode it shall be sufficient to haue poynted out the prophetes minde especially in respect they maye bee knowne easilie out of the longer writings of others The Argument of the LXXXIIII Psalme It is a Psalme of prayer of Dauids as it is likelie being banished through the tyrannie of Saull It is firste made of a heauie complaint vnto the 9 verse Then of a petition vnto the 13. verse Finallie of ane acclamatorie conclusion in the 13 verse The LXXXIIII Psalme 1 A Psalme commited to the Master of the Musick among the posterity of Korach to be song vpon the instrumentes Gittith 2 O Iehoua of hostes how amiable are thy tabernacles 3 My soule is touched vvith a desire yea it faynteth to come to the courtes of Iehoua my heart and my flesh cry out to come vnto the strong liuing God 4 To thine altars Iehoua of hostes my king and my God yea the sparrowe findeth an house and the swallowe a nest for themselues in the which they may lay there yong ones 5 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will prayse thee alway 6 Blessed is the man who in thee hath libertie of thy pathes which the godlie haue in their mind 7 Blessed are they who passing through the valley of the Mulberrie appoynt that fountaine whome also the raine of thy blessings do couer 8 They goe from battell array to battel array let euery man compeir before God
they called him either just or powerfull or wise or merciful Paule going about to speake of quickning Ephesa 4. aswell of the Iewes as of the Gentiles first hee described God froÌ„ the cause of quickning to witte from his mercy God saieth he who is rich in mercy because of his great loue whereby hee hath loved vs hee hath quickened vs together with Christ That is hee had considdered diligentlie the benefite of quickning and felt it intirely in his soule From thence he ascendeth to the cause it selfe to wit to the mercy of God For they who meditate earnestlie concerning the effects of God those same men also doe not les seriouslie panse of the causes of the effects which are in God they glorifie God in them and every man surely as hee weigheth the effects and benefites of God so hath he an apprehension either more light or more weightie of God so that wee may gather yea of the very naming of God how much men are mooved with the workes of GOD if at any time they speake of them For if in the meane time that they speake of the workes of God they name not God with that reverence which is due surelie that is an evident that there is but a light apprehension onely of Gods workes 7 Returne vnto thy rest ô my soule seeing Iehoua is beneficiall toward thee 8 Because thou hast delivered my selfe from death mine eies from teares my feete from falling 9 I will walke continually before Iehova in the countreyes of the living REturne vnto The second parte of the Psalme The glorying of faith both in his owne soule and likewise before God And first he gloryeth in his owne soule Returne sayeth hee ô my soule vnto thy rest Hee opposeth this reste or peace to anguish sorrow of the which hee had spoken before in the third verse As if he should saye Disquiet not thy selfe any more neither be in any sorrowing but nowe at last quiet thy selfe The cause is adjoyned For God is bountifull vnto thee The reason then is taken from the present benefite of God It may be asked in this place whether if the benefit of GOD setteth the soule of the disquieted man at rest Which if it be so what is the efficacie of faith or hope which is of a thing that is absent I aunswere seeing faith vnder which hope is conteined the present enjoying of the thing are two divers things Faith indeede hath great strength to quiet and pacifie the troubled minde Notwithstanding the prefence of the thing it self hath greater strength to bring that matter to passe Faith indeede which respecteth that lise to come and as it were exhibiteth it present to vs I grant iâ—urnisheth a peace that is aboue all knowledge But how great shall this peace be when we shall enjoy that life to come fully and perfitly That is not to be in silence pretermitted that hee nameth Iehova to bee the authour of this benefite and deliverance Iehoua sayeth hee is bountifnll vnto me Hee said not â—awlie nakedly to his soule because thou hast delivered mee from present danger but he nameth God to bee the author of the deliverance from thence aryseth that rest For God himselfe the author of all benefites is a thing somewhat more excellente and the conscience of God the chief worker hath greater strength to quiet the mind then all the benefites of GOD haue for if we shall speake properly not so much the gift it selfe as the well willing hart of the giver quieteth our mind That peace which proceedeth onely from benefites temporall and worldly is deceivable such as was the peace of that rich man which after that his barnes were enlarged and filled full promised to his soule in time to come all peace and happinesse But what heard he then O foole sayeth he they shall take away thy soule from thee this same very night Luk. 12. 20 Because Now he gloryeth before God as if he should saye I shall not perish nowe but I shall liue among the living for this is it which he sayth I shal walk alwaies in the land of the living and not only saith he that but he saith I will liue before Iehova that is I wil liue justlie vprightly so that by mylife God shal be glorifyed this is not without a cause adjoyned For vnles we walk before God in this life while we liue we ar dead as the apostle speketh of that widow â— Tim 5. 6 which liveth in pleasure While she is living saieth he she is dead Also he taketh the reasoÌ„ of his glorying from the gift of God it selfe which by three degrees is amplified Thou hast deliuered my selfe sayeth hee from death Yea and not only that but thou hast delivered me froÌ„ al sorrow Yea and not onely that hast thou done but thou hast delivered me from all impediment which could be able any way to procure sorow vnto me Learne out of this place first that there is no mater of glorying but in the grace of God alone Rom. 3. 〈◊〉 in god alone when is the glorying saith Paul it is excluded by what law by the law of workes No waies yea by the law of faith Whereby hee signifyeth that there ought to bee no glorying in our owne workes no not so much in deede as in the workes of regeneration For Abraham himselfe being regenerate had not matter to glorie in workes before God For the works of regeneration were even now al done wherefore he that desireth to glory let him glory in Christ alone and his merites Secondly marke David speaketh here of his owne deliverance as if it were full perfite But surely thereafter hee was layde out to many and great dangers and hee was in displeasure Wherefore of necessitie here he hath a respect to another deliverance and to another life then to this that is present For it is not likely to be true that so godly a man gloryed so much of this temporall life in which none of the godly at any time ever contented themselues But to the end I may speak of those Fathers who lived before Christ they indeed respected continually vnder figures as it were and shaddowes of temporall things things everlasting and in their temporall deliverances and benefites whatsoever they looked within that everlasting redemption and all spirituall and heavenly things And almost all those temporall things earthly was given them as shaddowes of the Spirituall blessings in Iesus Christ Also al those Temporal benefites should be so many earnest-pennies vnto vs of that Spirituall and heavenly life and perfite redemption which then we shall attayne vnto when Christ the second time shall come 10 I beleeved when I spake those things I had spoken aboue measure 11 I had said making hast Every man is a lyar I Beleeued The fourth part of the Psalme in which hee confesseth his weaknesse yea and his former infidelitie also and he cleareth the same
without a most weighty cause Thirdly that the very death of the godly it selfe howsoever it seeme vile in the sight of the world notwithstanding in Gods sight it is precious Fourthly that continually the memory of the death of the godly is alwaies fresh recent Of these foure manners that first is chiefly to be vnderstood in this place To wit that for this cause the death of Gods owne is precious in the eies of God he suffereth in respect them not many times to die but delivereth theÌ„ out of extreame great daungers But whose death is precious in the eies of Iehova Even the death of those saith he whoÌ„ he beareth at good wil. Therefore the loue and favour of God is the cause wherefore the death of his own is precious those whom he loveth he keepeth them aliue neither doth he at any time suffer them to die rashlie Any would suddenly wounder at the first shew why God hath not only permitted but also hath commanded oft that so many Nations should bee destroyed no choise being had of men wemen and infants which thing wee reade in the booke of Ioshua come to passe vpon the people which were in the Land of Canaan When I was occupied in seeking out somewhat more profoundly the cause of this so greate a severitie this first came in my minde because God favored not those Nations but contrariwise hee hated them whereby it came to passe that their death was not precious in the eies of God If their precious death or not precious death dependeth vppon the loue or hatred of God how blessed are those whome the Lord loveth aswell in life as in death I beseech thee Iehoua Hee confirmeth Gods providence toward his own by his own experience as if he should saye hast thou not I beseech thee ô Iehova lowsed my bondes For he speaketh of himselfe as if hee were drawen bound hand and foote to execution For he meaneth that hee was brought to an extreame daunger of losing his life when by Iehova he was delivered He subjoyneth the cause of his deliverance to wit that he was the servant of Iehova for this cause a servant because he was the son of a hand maid for the sonnes of the handmaid are therewithall according to the law servants When he sayeth that he is the sonne of an hand maid hee signifieth that he is not a stranger a servant coÌ„ming from far but a houshold servant among the rest of Gods domestickes Hee meaneth then that he is not a man that is a stranger a sojorning servant in the house of god but that he himself hath some right title in the house of god either froÌ„ his parents which befor him wer coÌ„prised within the covenant of God for that is no coÌ„mon benefit of that we are borne as it were of the domesticques and confederates of God And surely the affection of Davids mind vttereth the selfe clearely in this gradation of words as it were For the wordes shew that the affection of the minde approched vnto God more more For first he sayeth I am thy servant This is the first degree or steppe of the words and the first approching of the soule vnto God Then he repeapeth the felfe same thing and he saith I am thy servant This is the seconde step of the wordes and the second approching of his soule vnto God Then he sayeth in the third place I am the sonne of thine hand-maid This is the third step of the words and chief signe of his exceeding great and third drawing neere vnto God For while he speaketh this last hee coupleth himselfe altogether with GOD and he cleaveth straitly vnto him and so for this cause he becommeth blessed For our happinesse consisteth in that communion and fellowship with God Thou feest therefore that thing in this place first from whence it proceedeth that hee publickly recoÌ„mendeth with so great a confidence of mind that providence of God toward his owne Surely it commeth from that his owne experience and of the particular providence of God toward him selfe For no man can prayse generally the providence and mercy of God toward his owne Church except he hath in particular felt the same in experience himselfe Certainly that saying would haue bin but coldly spoken by Paule To witte that Christ came into the World to saue sinners vnlesse that he himselfe had firste felt in experience both the miserie of sinne and the mercy of God and for this cause he subjoyneth these words Of whom to witte of sinners I am the chiefest to the end he might conclude in his own conscience that he himself was saved by Christ Therefore that generall faith of the Papists is vnmeet to recommend the providence grace of God toward his owne Church For never did I ever yet esteeme at anie time any Papist to be a meet Preacher or publisher of the benefits of God towarde his Church who is not able to bring out any thing from his own feeling or experience who is not able to say that of the which before we haue spoken in this Psalme I beleeued and therefore did I speake Marke secondly There ar men whom this or that kinde of death doth greatly vexe and torment as violent death as filthie suddaine exquisite and cruell deathes concerning which sortes of death indeede they do no sooner meditate vpon but presently they are striken with a horrible fear but this care thought which is coÌ„cerning the maner of death is preposterous Why should not that much rather be takeÌ„ thought of by vs that we may feel our selues beloved of God for if we be grounded rooted in that loue of God our death of whatsoever sort it be shal be precious in the eies of God we shal be more then conquerors in very death it self obserue thirdly Dauid out of all question Rom. 8. â—7 attayned to that hid loue of God which was in the hart of God he obtained some sense from the effect of some special notable deliverance he learned also that he was beloved of Iehova froÌ„ that becaus his death was precious in the eies of Iehova This is that our onely comforte in life and death that wee are not our own but our most faithfull Lordes Iesus Christs and that we are the Lords and that hee taketh a care of vs From thence also those godlie auncient men chiefly learned the same thing because they felt God present with them in very deede in whatsoever perrilles Amongst the rest David is to be nuÌ„bred who as he was laid open to many dangers so he felt exceeding many deliveraÌ„ces he perswaded himself that god had a speciall care of him in the selfe same place in which hee saide that the death intended against the godly was Precious in the eies of Iehova he without all doubt meaneth that this was a document of the favour care of God toward vs in respect that our death is precious in his
Christ Iesus our Lord To whom be all glory Amen The Argument of the CXXXVII Psalme A Psalme it is of a mixt kinde Of doctrine and of prayer It is not manifest by whome it was written Yet it is likely that it was written by some Prophet that in name of the whole Church of the Iewes being nowe in captivitie It appeareth also to be written at that time when the people were carryed away into Babylonia yea even then when they were in the very journey as it may be gathered out of the first verse Nowe it is composed of two parts The first is an heavy complaint of the Church vnto the 7. verse The other is an heavie imprecation and a propheticall denunciation against the enemies of the Church vnto the end of the Psalme The CXXXVII Psalme 1 By the rivers of Babylonia we sitting there we wept very much when we remembred of Tzijon 2 In it we hanged vp our harpes vppon the willowes 3 Although in that place these vvho had led vs away captiues and had buried vs together required of vs ioyfull songes saying sing to vs of the songes of Tzijon 4 How could we haue soong the songe of Iehoua in the land of strangers 5 If I forget thee O Ierusalem let my right hand forget the selfe 6 Let my tongue cleaue to the roofe of my mouth if I remember thee not if I call not backe vnto Ieruschalaim the heade of my ioy BY the rivers The first parte of the Psalme The complainte in which there is first the proposition of the complaint when he sayeth wee weept very much That is we were extreame sorrowfull For the Spirit maketh intercession for the church with sighes that cannot be expressed Ro. 8. so to speak with the Apostle And it cannot be sufficientlie spoken with how great heavinesse the Church is accustomed to be moved when she is humbled vnder the hande of God This murning and sorrow of the Church is circumscrived by the own subject when he sayeth By the ryvers of Babylonia That is of the Babylonical monarchie For the Iewes wer not only caryed away into Babylonia so properly called but they were dispersed throughout the Babylonicall jurisdictions as it may be most clearly gathered out of Ezekiel Daniell Ezra Then the place is the Babylonicall monarchie in general but in particular the brinkes of the rivers For he sayth By the rivers of Babylonia Wee sitting there that is sitting vpon the brinks of the rivers vnto such time as all were ferried over This place of the Babylonical monarchie conteineth in the selfe a certaine cause of this weeping which hee setteth downe For the place manifestlie sheweth the banishment and carrying away into captivity from their natiue soile to an strange lande Then the people being in their journey farre from home and banished bewayleth their sinnes which ought to haue bin bewayled at home Not-with-standing those who will not murne at home they are compelled to murne far frō their home For sinnes of necessitie are once to be bewayled and wee must bee sorrowfull either sooner or later because we haue offended GOD. And if wee be not sorrowfull at home surely wee shall murne far from home And if we murne not in this life surely wee shall be sorrowfull in that other life or rather death where there shall nothing be heard but wayling and gnashing of teeth Blessed are they also who later yea and that in exile yea at any time whatsoever ar earnestly sorrowful for their sinnes if so be they deferre not their mourning to an other Worlde blessed are they For even those who do later yea or at whatsoever time murne and repent in this life in that other life all teares shall bee wiped awaye from their eies But those who laugh in this life and refuse to murne in that other life there shall be none ende or measure of their sorrow When wee remembred This is the other cause of the mourning but some-what more cleare to witte the remembrance of Tzijon that is of Ierusalem where the visible and outwarde presence of God to be looked vpon was For these who are banished from God they do surely feele what great profite yea and it were no more but this which is in the presence of GOD and which is in this his visible ministery what great discommoditie is in that his absence we while we haue God present in his ministery and beholde him after some sort in that mirrour of his Gospell we acknowledge not how happie we bee and it were no more but for that selfe same cause But if it shall come to passe at any time through the righteous judgment of GOD that this mirrour of the Gospell and this outwarde ministerie be taken away from our eies then indeed wee shall feele in effecte what great misery it is to bee destitute thereof I speake specially concerning those who are accustomed at any time to feele some pleasure of this sincere preaching of the worde administration of the Sacraments David being in exile Remembring those things sayth he I poure out my soule vpon my self when I remember that I was woont to passe by in the congregation to walke with them vnto the house of God c. Behold David being banished from the visible Church of God he was exceeding greatly sorrowfull But what is the cause Even because hee vvas woont to vvalke together vvith the Church vnto the house of GOD vvith the voyce of singing and prayse That is because he was to feele no little pleasure of that external and visible ministerie And therefore being nowe a banished man the remembrance of that Spiritual pleasure joy mooved him to no smal displeasure Here we ar to be admonished that this dolor proceeding frō the remembrance of that heavenly ioy is not the sorrow of this worlde But it is that dolour which is called the godly sorrow which surely hath greater ioy mixed therwith then is the whole joy of this worlde yea albeit it be voyde of all sense of sorrow For every one of the godly while they mourne they feele in the meane time ane vnspeakable ioy conioyned with sighes that cannot bee expressed In it we hanged vppe our Harpes vppon the Willowes A certaine amplification of the murning sorrow set down The Church murned cast away al instruments matter of consolation For these who are sorrowfull earnestly from their hearte they thinke that all ioye and matter of ioye is a displeasure vnto them and contrariwise they thinke all heauinesse to bee vnto them as a pleasure My teares are vnto me sayeth DAVID in steede of meate But what manner of songs were these Psal 42. 4◠They were holie songes and the songes of the Lorde those who earnestlie sanctifiedly do weepe vse not so much indeed as to sing holy songs For at such time as the Lord casteth vs downe and humbleth vs at that time it becommeth vs to mourne rather then to singe Iam
put their confidence in any of their owne deservings neither yet to vaunt of their own righteousnes before God as if they not onely by their righteousnes had recompensed the benefites of God toward them but also had deserved somewhat at Gods hand Wee are againe taught here that the acknowledging of our own weaknes poverty proceedeth froÌ„ diligent examining and weighing of the benefits of God Also from a consideration of our gifts whether they are able to answer to so many so great benefits of god wherfore so at last we shal feel how vnable yea that wear nothing if we wil weigh the benefits of God toward vs and our strength gifts together having compared them among themselues For it will so come to passe at length that having diligently considered that great inequality of the benefits of God of our strength we shal acknowledg how many how great in lacks there ar in vs how vnable wee are to repay the Lord again Wilt thou therefore from thine heart giue thanks vnto God and ascriue solidly altogether al the glory of his benefits to himself acknowledge how poore thou art in thy self how thou hast nothing to recompense the Lord withal now wilt thou know this thing examin diligently coÌ„pare the benefits of God thy giftes and strength among themselues And if we shuld proceed after this order in giving God thanks surely wee would give all the glory to God of his benefits more earnestly from the hart more effectually then we vse to do Again marke here in Dauid the token of a thankfull minde he voweth vnto God he repayeth his vow This thankfulnesse in promising the accomplishment of the promise is not to bee reckoned among the least of Gods benefits For it proceedeth from the speciall favour of God that wee are thankfull to GOD for the benefite receiued For wee are almost all more prone after some measure earnestly to craue Gods helpe to liue vnto him when we are pressed with any grievous perrill then wee are to giue thanks and to paye our vowes vnto God after that already the benefites of God are bestowed vppon vs. Notwithstanding the Prophete warneth that those two are to be joyned together with an inseparable knot Ps â—0 14. Sacrifice prayse vnto God and paye thy vowes to the most High and cal vppon me in the time of anguish I will deliver thee that thou mayest honour mee Surely I thinke that that man hath not sought any thing at God earnestly and with that heart with which it became him who after that he now hath obteined the same is vnmindfull of the benefite and of Thanksgiving For that selfe same spirite which teacheth vs to praye as is requisite and maketh intercession for vs with sighes that cannot bee expressed teacheth vs to giue thanks vnto God for the benefites received that with ane certaine vnspeakable joy gladnesse of heart Last it is marked here that this was the highest degree of thanksgiving that David promiseth here vnto his God For an exceeding great benefite requireth exceeding great thanksgiving Also passing great thanks are not these which are given to God secretly but those that are given publickly The whole Church of God looking on and hearing David if at any time he promiseth or offereth a chiefe duty vnto God hee professeth that hee is not able to offer or to promise a greater duty nor this then that he will prayse God in the publick congregation of his Church For the publick giving of Thanks is more then the private For while thou givest thankes publickly vnto God the whole people sayeth Amen And so they glorifie God together with thee From thence it is that God would haue his people togather together in one and to giue him thanks together in the Church to the end that the greater praise honour and glory may redounde vnto him Precious in the c. This is that forme of thanksgiving which hee setteth before him to bee followed First he recommendeth the Providence of God toward his owne aswell in their life as in their death Then hee confirmeth this providence of God from his own experience First therefore sayeth hee the death is precious Men do commonly thinke while they see the godly afflicted and exercised with sundrie calamities they thinke I say that God at that time taketh no thought of them whether they liue or die And from thence it is that the persecutors themselues thinking that God taketh a like litle care of their life death they wax the more fearce against theÌ„ as against as many vile and abject slaues David therefore opposeth to the perverse opinion of men in this place this excellent passage precious in the eiâ—s of Iehoua c. Whereby hee signifieth first that God many times permitteth not his owne to die but delivereth them very oft out of exceeding great dangers rescueth them as it were out of the very jawes of death Then next by this passage he signifyeth that if God at any time suffereth his owne to die that commeth not passe by Chaunce or Fortune but by the sure purpose of God Pilate after this manner spake vnto Christ even as if God had taken no resolute advise concerning his life or death Knowest thou not sayeth he that I haue power to crucifie thee yea also power to lowse thee Christ aunswereth him Thou shouldest haue no power at all over mee vnlesse it were given thee from aboue Thus much speaketh Christe Thirdly by this passage is signified that the croce death of the godly it self howsoeuer it be vile in the sight of men notwithstanding it is precious in the eies of GOD. Laste this sentence admonisheth that after the godlie are already dead and taken out of this life by the permission of God violence of the vngodly together GOD suffereth not their death to slip out of his remembrance at any time For seeing that is moste true that hee hath all the teares of his owne put vp in a bottle as it were and in register howe many they are howe much more will he haue the whole blood of the godly yea every particular drop also of their bloud kept close with him Yea surely before so much as any one drop of the blood of the godly should perish hee will command the earth it selfe which opening her owne mouth the time it was shed received it and drank it in he will command I say the very earth it self to keep it in her womb as it were vnto that day of the Lords visitation wherein he wil take a vengeance vpon all them whosoever haue persecuted the godly in this life After these foure divers fashions therefore to speake it it summarlie the death of the godlie is pretious in the sight of God first that he suffereth not his own oft to perish but delivereth them out of exceeding great dangers Then if he permitteth them to die that is not done rashly